


Taking the Phrase ‘Skin of One’s Teeth’ to a Whole New Level

by Goldstone_Wolf



Series: BTHB--MultiFandom [5]
Category: Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game), High Hopes Low Rolls (Web Series)
Genre: (That one'll make sense later), Fire, Fire Monsters, Gen, Hashaan is a Good Mama Though, Major Character Injury, Near Death Experiences, Near Major Character Death, Tree Branches, Unusual Items Being Used as Weapons, Whump, tws for:
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-26
Updated: 2020-05-26
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:28:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24382840
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Goldstone_Wolf/pseuds/Goldstone_Wolf
Summary: During a mission gone wrong, Paddy, Malark, and possibly a few others try to get out of there while they still can.To say things don’t go as planned is beyond an understatement.
Relationships: None that I can think of
Series: BTHB--MultiFandom [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1760653
Comments: 2
Kudos: 4





	Taking the Phrase ‘Skin of One’s Teeth’ to a Whole New Level

**Author's Note:**

> This is not related to anything in the “High Hopes Low [Blank]” series. As if everything could not be crazy enough lately (for those of you who have cared enough to read my other stories), I had some sort of mental breakdown/panic attack/anxiety attack or something and I don’t know what it was. It wasn’t over anything huge, which is ridiculous, but it’s not the first time my head has gone from Point A to Point B. Also, I had a really weird dream last night so I’m going to avoid sleeping for as long as I can. I’m just…having a weird time right now and writing is a better catharsis than some of my other ones (and I doubt the rest of my family would appreciate me screaming into a pillow at 12:30 in the morning anyways).  
> So, let’s get into the fic with all of that. Oh, uh, TWs are in the tags.

“Paddy, get down!”

Malark tackled the wood elf to the cobblestone street, feeling fire scorch less than a dagger’s hilt above his back. They hit the stones hard, went skidding a little bit. Straightening up, he looked around. They had been separated from the rest of the group with only Rook and Hashaan with them. “Ve need to go!” Hashaan bellowed, smashing her sword into the side of one of the fire-breathing demon monsters that their opponent—some really pissed off witch—had sent after them.

“Agreed. Let’s move!” Scooping Paddy up to his feet, Malark shoved the wood elf in what he guessed was the right direction. He could hear Rook and Hashaan running after him, hear Rook’s laboured breathing. Ever since the moment the battle had started, things had not been going well. Rook had been shot with an arrow made of flame, and while it was no longer lodged in his side the damage had been done and his magic had been spent on trying to block the beasts.

They were barely outside the city walls when Malark realized something. The monsters were still behind them, and he pressed himself to a tree with Paddy in front of him. When the monsters didn’t leave, he realized it.

They were hiding from _fire monsters_ in a _forest_.

_Oh, no._ The monsters—each of which looked like someone had crossed a phoenix with a lion and tripled the size—stalked forwards with a guttural snarl. Hashaan and Rook were across the path from Malark and Paddy, and the assassin took a deep breath of smoke-stained air.

This wasn’t going to go well.

He heard the beasts sucking in air. It was a whispery sound, oddly tranquil when backed by the crackling flames. For a moment, everything was near-silent, and Malark could just imagine that they were somewhere else entirely. But then there was an unearthly roar, and heat roared through the forest. It tore through the trees, and Malark threw himself and Paddy down to the ground again just in time for the inferno to storm over their heads. The raging blaze shredded through the thick foliage like a knife through paper, and the emerald tresses of the trees suddenly turned to burning torches.

“Move!” Hashaan roared again, appearing through the flames with Rook in her arms. She yanked Paddy and Malark to their feet and threw them ahead of her, still carrying the wizard. When Malark glanced at him, he could see massive black burns charring the wizard’s legs.

The beasts turned, fire rippling along their coats, and then charged after them with shocking strength. One leapt into the air and landed in front of them, embers spewing from its jowls as it turned and roared. “That way!” Paddy darted into the flames, and Malark followed without thinking. The sticks and stones beneath their feet gave way to hot stone, but he didn’t think anything of it until he realized the trees had given way to canyon walls.

“No, wait!” He grabbed Paddy, yanked him to a stop, and turned to look behind them. Hashaan skidded to a stop, Rook still in her arms. Two of the beasts stalked towards them, snarling with every step. Beneath them, the ground blackened and scorched as flame so hot it was as bright as the sun rippled off their forms. They all backed up slowly, until Malark felt the canyon wall press into his back. Above them, trees lined the edges, already beginning to burn. The third monster was up there, he knew it.

They were trapped.

_No. No, no, no this isn’t how this is meant to happen not here not by a witch._ Panting, Malark glanced around. The fire was casting deadly shadows across the rock faces around them and across the faces of his teammates. Rook was still unconscious. There was nowhere to escape.

Above them, the third monster shoved a tree into the canyon. It crashed to the ground with an explosion of flames and embers, some of which landed on Paddy’s arms and cloak. Yelping, he stumbled back, flapping like that would do anything to stop it. On instinct more than anything else, Malark ripped the cloak off while Hashaan hurriedly tried to pat the flames out with a free arm, balancing Rook precariously in her other arm.

“There’s nowhere to run.” He hissed to Hashaan, who simply met his gaze and then looked at the monsters. Taking a deep breath, she turned and set Rook on the ground behind them, drawing her sword again.

“Zen ve vill go down fighting.” She mused, and Malark pulled his blades out before glancing at Paddy. The wood elf stepped away from the fire, fear flickering in his eyes.

“Paddy.” Green eyes turned gold darted to him and Malark tried his best to smile behind his mask. Paddy always seemed to know anyways. “Watch over Rook, okay?”

Blinking, Paddy nodded, and Malark turned back to Hashaan and nodded. They faced off with the fire beasts, which were stalking in front of them. It was almost like they knew just as well as Malark and Hashaan that this wasn’t a fight they were going to win. Like they were just biding their time.

With a roar, Hashaan and Malark charged in tandem, blades ready.

+++

The forest had been reduced almost to ashes.

“Paddy! Hashaan! Rook!” Looking around, Gwing glanced at Zenya. The little pseudodragon had refused to move from her perch in Nala’s fur for hours, ever since the battle had finished. Something had happened. Frowning, Gwing cupped her hands around her mouth. “Malark! Paddy! Anyone out there?”

Smouldering embers crackled beneath burnt-out husks of trees that were decades old. Everything had been reduced to nothing in only a couple hours. Years and years of growth…gone. Some fires were still burning, even though Mina and the others were going around trying to put them out as best as possible.

At the moment, Zada and Ava were following her through the charred remnants of the woods. The former walked up to Gwing and gently set a hand on her shoulder. “Gwing,” the half-elf met her gaze, and Zada didn’t have to say anything to get what she meant across.

“I’m not leaving. Not until…not until we find something.” She replied, looking at Zenya. She wasn’t going to give up on the others like that. Not when they had…she wasn’t going to give up on them. She wasn’t going to give up on Rook.

Not yet.

And not like this.

Zada kept giving her a look, so she pushed past the elf and kept walking. _Come_ on _, guys, where are you?_ Taking a deep breath, she started coughing. Thick black smoke still cloyed the air, choking the life out of it. All she could do was pray that they were okay.

Pray…and keep looking.

+++

When Malark came to, something heavy was braced across his shoulders.

He had thrown himself on top of Paddy and Rook in a last-ditch effort to protect them from a burning branch. The monsters had suddenly…vanished, somehow. He had a feeling the witch was dead or had simply stopped casting, decided that the fire was enough to take them out and she didn’t need to waste any more energy. After that…everything was smoke and fire and heat and nothing else.

Coughing, he lifted his head. “Ssh, little one. Stop moving.” A scaly hand rubbed his back, and he took a few ragged breaths. Something was wrong, he could feel something pressed into his ribs. “You’re going to hurt yourself more.”

“Paddy—Rook—”

“—are safe. Ve just need to focus on you for now. Vill you be able to do zat for me?” After a second, he nodded, then risked looking down.

There was a gnarled, scorched branch stabbed through his ribs.

+++

“Hashaan!”

Nagar had joined their little group. For once, Gwing was beyond happy that he could be so loud. Sure, stealth-wise it wasn’t the best. But when they were trying to cover a lot of ground? It was perfect.

Mina jumped into the air when the white dragonborn bellowed again. “Wow. He’s kind of—” She froze and glanced at the ground. “Hey, Gwing!”

“What?” Abruptly, the genasi grabbed Gwing’s hand and yanked her into the air. While they were there, Mina pointed towards what looked like… “Oh my gosh, Mina you’re a genius!”

Setting her down, Mina laughed, “I know.”

Sprinting to the edge of the canyon, Gwing crouched down and studied the ground. Glancing at the others, she yelled, “They’re this way! Come on!”

They all raced into the canyon, and Gwing kept calling out for the others. Eventually, they came to the edge, where several charred husks of trees had crashed into the canyon. The ghastly, ash remnants of the monsters were scorched into the ground like they had died while in the midst of battle. The earth was coated in blood, and Gwing’s heart dropped to her feet at the sight.

“Hashaan!” Nagar roared again, and they all waited in dreadful silence for an answer. There was movement beneath one of the logs, however, and Nagar immediately raced over. “All of you, come and help me vith zis! Now!”

Scorched splinters dug into Gwing’s palms as she and the others helped haul the tree off. Beneath, Hashaan had braced herself over the others, all of whom appeared soot-smudged but alive. “Hashaan, are you alright?” She asked, crouching by the black dragonborn, who was kneeling over the others.

“Malark…he is ze one I am vorried ze most for.” They both glanced at the assassin, who was being treated by Zada. There was a massive branch impaled through his side, the upper half being slashed off by Hashaan’s claws from the looks of it. For a few moments, no one spoke, but Zada turned to the others with a slight smile.

“I think they’ll be okay.”

**Author's Note:**

> I haven’t eaten in eight hours and my hands are shaking so I’m probably somewhat hypoglycaemic right now but that’s okay I’ll go eat something in like ten minutes. Also, just because the notes say one thing doesn’t necessarily mean that’s what it was like when I posted the fic because I’ve been known to write the same chapter over several different days. Also, I’m not adding my usual comforting, take-care of bit because this was meant to be strictly whump and y’all got this instead. Sorry.   
> This was different because this was for all in one go. I came up with the monsters, and I might draw a scene from this if you want me to. It’ll end up on my tumblr.  
> B4—Thwarted Escape


End file.
